Louise Hecht

PROJEKTTITEL

PROJEKTBESCHREIBUNG

Born into a well-to-do, orthodox Jewish family in the mid 19th century Vienna, Bertha Pappenheim subtly revolted against the two guiding principles of her upbringing – bourgeoisie and religious orthodoxy, – without completely forsaking them. As a religious Jewish woman, Pappenheim was bound by the laws and traditions of a male-dominated Jewish society that discriminated against women in practical, intellectual and religious concerns. To uphold the universality of religion, Pappenheim had to find strategies that would include her (as a woman) into a system that was based upon the exclusion of women.In order to detect these strategies, the project seeks exploring Pappenheim’s life and her religious writings in the context of cultural translation. First of all, her role as a translator and cultural mediator of diverse feminist and religious texts shall be examined. Additionally, Pappenheim’s religious writings shall be analyzed as part of her subversive feminist activities (especially her battles against the suppressive religious establishment) as well as in connection with the emancipatory character of women’s devotional literature.